S moke S ignals
MARCH 15, 2018
7
General Council briefed on Housing, Social Services
Other Business
consumed by Member
Services discussion
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
General Council received a two-
for-one deal on Sunday, March 4,
in the Tribal Community Center
as the membership was briefed on
the Housing and Social Services
departments before an almost
two-hour Other Business session
that concentrated on recent staff
changes at the Member Services
Department and the Tribal press
coverage of those high-profile per-
sonnel changes.
After Tribal Council Secretary
Jon A. George and Tribal mem-
ber Jade Unger performed the
cultural drumming and singing
to open the meeting, Housing De-
partment Manager Shonn Leno
gave a 50-minute overview of his
department’s programs, which
include tenant-based rental assis-
tance in Yamhill and Polk counties,
student rental assistance for about
150 Tribal members, a nationwide
home repair program, $10,000 in
down payment assistance for pur-
chasing a home and maintenance
of the almost 200 units built by
the Tribe.
Leno said that the current turn-
over rate for Housing when a unit
is vacated is 34 days. However, if
the unit has been contaminated
by illegal drug use, such as meth,
it takes approximately 134 days
and costs the Tribe about $5,000
to properly prepare the unit for a
new tenant.
Leno added that he heard at a
recent housing conference that 45
percent of homes in Tribal commu-
nities nationwide are contaminated
wide-ranging offer-
ings, which include
emergency assistance,
youth prevention, em-
ployment services and
domestic violence and
sexual assault preven-
tion.
Ainam said that
Social Services has
instituted a trauma-in-
formed practice with a
“no wrong door” policy.
“When people are
coming through our
doors for services they
are basically at one of
Photo by Dean Rhodes
the most vulnerable
Housing Department Manager Shonn Leno
points in their lives,”
makes a presentation during the Sunday, March
Ainam said. “And we
need to respect that.
4, General Council meeting held in the Tribal
We need to understand
Community Center.
historical trauma, we
need
to
understand
current trauma
with drugs.
and we need to provide services in
“That is a staggering number that
a way that meet people where they
in our estimation is getting worse,”
are at.”
he said.
Social Services’ stated values
Leno said the most common ob-
are
safety, honoring culture and
stacles the Housing Department
spirituality,
being trustworthy,
experiences are the homeless pop-
partnership, collaboration and
ulation in Grand Ronde, lack of
providing choice.
upper-income homes, static wait-
Ainam said that the depart-
ing lists, self-sufficiency and drug
ment’s
employment services pro-
usage.
grams
had
a minimum 65 percent
He added that Housing is look-
success
rate
in 2017. Its domestic
ing at building two additional
violence
and
sexual assault pre-
low-income apartment complexes
vention program received about
for eight more units as well as de-
200 crisis calls in 2017, with 128
termining ways for Tribal members
related to domestic violence and 65
to own their own homes instead of
regarding sexual assault.
living in Tribal housing to foster
The Tribe’s Children & Family
self-sufficiency.
Services
program also has seen a
Leno fielded approximately 15
substantial
drop in Tribal children
questions and comments from
in foster care, from 70 children
Tribal members and Tribal Council
in 2013 to 24 children in 2017.
members.
Ainam added that CFS received
Social Services Department Man-
364 reports of possible neglect or
ager Dana Ainam followed with
abuse in 2017 with 102 assigned
an overview of her department’s
for assessment and only six cases
required intervention.
Ainam fielded nine questions and
comments from Tribal members
and Tribal Council members before
Tribal member Veronica Gaston
gave the blessing for the lunch.
After lunch, Tribal Council Vice
Chair Chris Mercier announced
that the next General Council
meeting will be held 11 a.m. Sun-
day, April 8, at the Many Nations
Longhouse on the University of
Oregon campus in Eugene.
In addition, the Community Input
meeting slated to be held was post-
poned until the May General Coun-
cil meeting because of the news of
Tribal Elder Marvin Kimsey’s pass-
ing, as well as anticipated Other
Business comment on the Member
Services’ personnel changes.
Angie Blackwell, Tina Leno and
Debi Anderson won the $100 door
prizes while Nichole Liebelt, Lloyd
DeLoe, Joe Kellogg, Steve Bobb Sr.
and Penny DeLoe won the $50 door
prizes. Bobb donated his winnings
to the Elders’ fundraising effort to
pay for a new pool table.
The 110-minute Other Business
session, which occurred after the
membership voted to continue the
General Council meeting following
word of Kimsey’s passing was an-
nounced, was dominated by input
from the membership regarding the
process that resulted in the person-
nel changes at Member Services.
There also was discussion about
the continuing after-effects of the
enrollment audit that started in
2012 and whether it was appropri-
ate for Smoke Signals to report on
personnel changes at the Tribe.
The meeting can be viewed by
visiting the Tribal website at www.
grandronde.org and clicking on the
News tab and then Video.
Willamette U. grand entry
Photo by Chelsea Clark
Grand Ronde Royalty and Color Guard members participated in the
grand entry at the Willamette University Native and Indigenous Student
Union 16th annual Social Powwow held on Saturday, March 10, in Salem.
From left are Grand Ronde Junior Warrior Nacoma Liebelt, Grand Ronde
Little Miss Sophia Grout, Grand Ronde Junior Miss Kaleigha Simi and
Grand Ronde Senior Miss Isabelle Grout. Holding the eagle staff to the
right is Grand Ronde Elder Alton Butler.
Ad created by George Valdez